And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones? — then you shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan; the waters of Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
—Joshua 1:11
In the above passage, the Lord instructed the children of Israel to lay down stones as a memorial to remind future generations what the Lord did for the Israelites when he brought them out of Egypt on dry ground through the Red Sea and brought them into the promised land on dry ground through the Jordan River.
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us until we were gone over, that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you might fear the Lord your God for ever. (Josh 1:13 RE)
The stones memorialized not only the Lord’s almighty power in delivering Israel, but also his compassion for His people, giving them a promised land and enabling them to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.
In the Parable of the Master’s House, we encounter a similar lesson that is both important and easy to overlook. It involves the actions of the house builders after the house was completed.
When the house of brick was complete, all the servants returned to tell their master as they were commanded. Returning, they came upon the place where those few remained faithfully moving stone. Many had compassion on their fellow servants and began a new labor with them. A messenger was sent to tell the master his house was finished. Those who had compassion said, The master’s house is finished. What need is there for further labor to carry stone for the house? Let us not waste the effort of our fellow servants who have labored hardest, and we will put the stones to good use. (¶10)
Despite the obstinance and opposition of the stone haulers who refused to help build the Master’s house, the house builders still had compassion on those stone haulers who opposed them. Rather than return to the Master to report their success and enjoy well-earned praise for their efforts, the house builders instead chose to help those froward stone haulers turn their useless pile of stone into something that would serve a purpose. Twice, the response of the house builders is equated with compassion in this parable. And indeed it was compassionate to help the stone haulers’ opposing effort turn ultimately into something good.
Hearing the work was complete, the master, with his household, departed for the new house. On the way, they found the pathway improved by stones laid to pave the way. The master was pleased, and said, I asked you build a house at the spot I had chosen, and this you have now faithfully done. But you have also made a stone road in place of the old pathway to a place where there is no stone to use. Well done my faithful servants, for all of you have labored to do as I have commanded, and proven your faithfulness. I will accept the house and the road, that none of your labor be lost. (¶11)
The final act that turned the pointless pile of wasted stone into a useful pathway underfoot was not an act of reasoning together at all, but an act of pure compassion. The stone haulers remained unreasonable to the end, but the compassion of the house builders was great enough to cover the stone haulers’ stubbornness and improve the path for all.
It was compassion that reunited the house builders with the stone haulers. It was compassion that exceeded the Master’s expectations and returned more than he asked. And finally it was compassion that welcomed the stone haulers to be counted among the faithful laborers.
A useful working definition of compassion includes both awareness of the suffering of others and a desire to relieve it. In the parable, it was the stone haulers who would likely suffer shame, guilt, sorrow, rejection and loss upon realizing they had squandered their opportunity to serve the Master in building the house he requested. The house builders recognized the stone haulers’ coming suffering, and despite the fact that the stone haulers had brought it upon themselves, the house builders desired to bring them relief.
This situation bears very strong resemblance to our Lord’s actions: He understood our suffering perfectly and completely by experiencing it himself in all its deepest horrors, then relieved it by finding reconciliation with God and providing a pathway for all of us to be relieved of the consequences of sin and the permanence of death. He paved the pathway that takes us to dwell in His House.
We identify the motive for Christ’s intervention on our behalf as Charity. In the Glossary we learn the following about this holy attribute:
He forgave the Romans that were nailing Him to the cross — this was not the traditional definition of love. Instead, it was a commitment — a determination — to do good despite the opposition or hindrance of anyone else. The very people He went into the temple and provoked with His Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 10) discourse (deliberately controlling the timing of their outrage so that He would be sacrificed at the appropriate time during the Passover), were the same people on whose behalf He also died. He was committed to giving His life to others as an act of charity, as an act of service, and as an act of kindness in a way that demonstrates what charity really is. Charity is a fixed determination to do something on the behalf of others. Whether they appreciate it, whether they love you in return or not, charity is simply doing what needs to be done.
The compassionate good we do to and for others—especially when the good is unrequested, unrequited, even undeserved—becomes a memorial before God, counted as though performed as direct service to the Lord Himself and motivated by the same Charity He embodies. Recall these lines from A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief:
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
“Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me.”
This sentiment is based, of course, on the Lord’s declaration in Matthew:
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? When did we see you a stranger, and took you in? Or naked, and clothed you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. (Matthew 11:23 RE)
We are also told in this same passage that the presence or absence of compassion, as evidenced by works of kindness towards others, will be the Lord’s basis in separating the sheep from the goats. The compassionate become the sheep at the right hand of the Lord. (Matthew 11:21 RE).
All of us, stone haulers and house builders—like the wounded man lying on the side of the road to Jericho—desperately need the Lord’s compassion, and therefore must likewise show compassion to each other. For further consideration on this topic, take a look at the parable called “The Missing Virtue” in the book Ten Parables. Compassion may well be the test before us, even if we remain unaware of it.
Now having discussed the outcome of the Parable of the Master’s House, we must consider what this all has to do with reasoning together. In the parable, some were flexible, willing to consider, able to change, and committed to accomplishing the Lord’s work without the need to be right in their opinions or vindicated in their arguments. Others were stubborn and unyielding until the end. Reasoning together did NOT break the impasse, solve the problem, improve the path or ultimately bring the Lord’s approval for all. No, it was compassion that worked these miracles.
The stones in the path were not anointed with the blood of the vanquished nor the tears of the humbled. They were anointed with the oil of charity, which was great enough to cover a stone pile worth of sin and lead all to the Master’s House. For those whose hearts are moved with charity, reasoning together is easy because they are of one heart.
Finally, we would do well to remember of our Father Jacob who became Israel—a man who literally anointed a stone as a memorial to the House of God:
And Jacob awoke out of his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place; this is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven! And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. (Genesis 9:21 RE)
In all our attempts to reason together, there will likely remain heard-hearted stone haulers among us. And though reasoning with some is apparently not yet possible, we can and should have compassion, like our Lord whose heart is moved with compassion for us all.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.
—Proverbs 2:12 RE
